Beto O'Rourke's whirlwind campaign for the U.S. Senate came to an end on Tuesday, as Sen. Ted Cruz was elected to a second term by a tight margin.

Democrats across the country were looking to O'Rourke on Tuesday to deliver a long sought-after victory for the party in a staunchly conservative state that has not sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in 30 years.

But Texas remained in Republican control after polls closed on Election Day.

With the Senate race behind him, all eyes are now on O'Rourke, whose competitive campaign catapulted him into national conversations about the future of the Democratic party.

After receiving a kiss from his wife, Amy, Beto O’Rourke concedes to Sen. Ted Cruz, bringing the El Paso Democratic Congressman's long-shot Texas Senate bid to an end. He spoke to supporters late Tuesday night at an election night rally at Southwest University Park in El Paso. MARK LAMBIE / EL PASO TIMES

Mark Jones, a political scientist from Rice University, said political candidates always deny plans to run for higher office, but that’s rarely the reality.

A presidential bid in 2020 was a possibility for O'Rourke regardless of the outcome Tuesday, Jones said. But a loss this year means that he could also consider running for the Senate against three-term incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in 2020, Jones said.

Cornyn would be a more formidable opponent than Cruz, given his leadership position as the Senate Majority Whip and his likability compared to the junior senator, Jones said.

“It will probably be something very personal,” Jones said. “Does he prefer to go for the more realistic, but less attractive, Senate seat? Or does he essentially go for the Full Monty and attempt a presidential bid?”

But other political experts say O’Rourke’s candidacy this year was so successful because it was a perfect storm: the right candidate, the right time and the right opponent.

“My honest guess is that this will be the last hurrah if he loses,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston. “It’s hard for lightening to strike twice in the same place. There is a momentary purpose and cause that may not exist in two years.”

O’Rourke often cited the current political climate as his motivation for entering the race, and said he wanted to have a good answer for his children when they’re older and they ask him what he did to combat the “fear and hatred” of the current political climate.

Brian Smith, a political science professor at St. Edwards University in Austin, said O'Rourke will have to decide where he sees himself in the national Democratic party and fine tune his policy positions if he wants to run for higher office.

O'Rourke has resisted defining himself in relation to the national party. He spent his Senate campaign looking to appeal to "Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike."

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Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke took the stage a little after 10pm Tuesday along side his wife Amy Sanders O'Rouke and conceded the race to incumbent Ted Cruz. A sad but still energized crowd cheered on O'Rourke as he gave a passionate speech to the packed-to-the-gills Southwest Univeristy Park. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke took the stage a little after 10pm Tuesday along side his wife Amy Sanders O'Rouke and conceded the race to incumbent Ted Cruz. A sad but still energized crowd cheered on O'Rourke as he gave a passionate speech to the packed-to-the-gills Southwest Univeristy Park. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke took the stage a little after 10pm Tuesday along side his wife Amy Sanders O'Rouke and conceded the race to incumbent Ted Cruz. A sad but still energized crowd cheered on O'Rourke as he gave a passionate speech to the packed-to-the-gills Southwest Univeristy Park. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke took the stage a little after 10pm Tuesday along side his wife Amy Sanders O'Rouke and conceded the race to incumbent Ted Cruz. A sad but still energized crowd cheered on O'Rourke as he gave a passionate speech to the packed-to-the-gills Southwest Univeristy Park. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke took the stage a little after 10pm Tuesday along side his wife Amy Sanders O'Rouke and conceded the race to incumbent Ted Cruz. A sad but still energized crowd cheered on O'Rourke as he gave a passionate speech to the packed-to-the-gills Southwest Univeristy Park. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke took the stage a little after 10pm Tuesday along side his wife Amy Sanders O'Rouke and conceded the race to incumbent Ted Cruz. A sad but still energized crowd cheered on O'Rourke as he gave a passionate speech to the packed-to-the-gills Southwest Univeristy Park. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke took the stage a little after 10 p.m. on election night with his wife, Amy Sanders O'Rourke, and conceded the race to incumbent U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. A sad but still energized crowd cheered on O'Rourke as he gave a passionate speech at the packed Southwest University Park. Mark Lambie/El Paso Times

Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke took the stage a little after 10pm Tuesday along side his wife Amy Sanders O'Rouke and conceded the race to incumbent Ted Cruz. A sad but still energized crowd cheered on O'Rourke as he gave a passionate speech to the packed-to-the-gills Southwest Univeristy Park. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke took the stage a little after 10pm Tuesday along side his wife Amy Sanders O'Rouke and conceded the race to incumbent Ted Cruz. A sad but still energized crowd cheered on O'Rourke as he gave a passionate speech to the packed-to-the-gills Southwest Univeristy Park. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke took the stage a little after 10pm Tuesday along side his wife Amy Sanders O'Rouke and conceded the race to incumbent Ted Cruz. A sad but still energized crowd cheered on O'Rourke as he gave a passionate speech to the packed-to-the-gills Southwest Univeristy Park. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke took the stage a little after 10pm Tuesday along side his wife Amy Sanders O'Rouke and conceded the race to incumbent Ted Cruz. A sad but still energized crowd cheered on O'Rourke as he gave a passionate speech to the packed-to-the-gills Southwest Univeristy Park. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke took the stage a little after 10pm Tuesday along side his wife Amy Sanders O'Rouke and conceded the race to incumbent Ted Cruz. A sad but still energized crowd cheered on O'Rourke as he gave a passionate speech to the packed-to-the-gills Southwest Univeristy Park. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke took the stage a little after 10pm Tuesday along side his wife Amy Sanders O'Rouke and conceded the race to incumbent Ted Cruz. A sad but still energized crowd cheered on O'Rourke as he gave a passionate speech to the packed-to-the-gills Southwest Univeristy Park. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke took the stage a little after 10pm Tuesday along side his wife Amy Sanders O'Rouke and conceded the race to incumbent Ted Cruz. A sad but still energized crowd cheered on O'Rourke as he gave a passionate speech to the packed-to-the-gills Southwest Univeristy Park. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke took the stage a little after 10 on election night alongside his wife, Amy Sanders O'Rourke, and conceded the race to incumbent U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. A sad but still energized crowd cheered on O'Rourke as he gave a passionate speech to the packed Southwest University Park. Mark Lambie/El Paso Times

Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke took the stage a little after 10pm Tuesday along side his wife Amy Sanders O'Rouke and conceded the race to incumbent Ted Cruz. A sad but still energized crowd cheered on O'Rourke as he gave a passionate speech to the packed-to-the-gills Southwest Univeristy Park. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke took the stage a little after 10pm Tuesday along side his wife Amy Sanders O'Rouke and conceded the race to incumbent Ted Cruz. A sad but still energized crowd cheered on O'Rourke as he gave a passionate speech to the packed-to-the-gills Southwest Univeristy Park. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke took the stage a little after 10 on election night alongside his wife, Amy Sanders O'Rourke, and conceded the race to incumbent U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. A sad but still energized crowd cheered on O'Rourke as he gave a passionate speech to the packed Southwest University Park. Mark Lambie/El Paso Times

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, walked from his Sunset Heights home in El Paso to vote at the El Paso Community College Rio Grande Campus Tuesday. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, stopped at Mesiat Elementary School to greet volunteers and voters early Tuesday morning. O’Rourke who earlier had walked from his Sunset Heights home in El Paso to vote at the El Paso Community College Rio Grande Campus, was all smiles as voters asked to tae pictures with him. RUBEN R. RAMIREZ/EL PASO TIMES

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, walked from his Sunset Heights home in El Paso to vote at the El Paso Community College Rio Grande Campus Tuesday. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, walked from his Sunset Heights home in El Paso to vote at the El Paso Community College Rio Grande Campus Tuesday. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, walked from his Sunset Heights home in El Paso to vote at the El Paso Community College Rio Grande Campus Tuesday. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, walked from his Sunset Heights home in El Paso to vote at the El Paso Community College Rio Grande Campus Tuesday. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, stopped at Mesiat Elementary School to greet volunteers and voters early Tuesday morning. O’Rourke who earlier had walked from his Sunset Heights home in El Paso to vote at the El Paso Community College Rio Grande Campus, was all smiles as voters asked to tae pictures with him. RUBEN R. RAMIREZ/EL PASO TIMES

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, stopped at Mesiat Elementary School to greet volunteers and voters early Tuesday morning. O’Rourke who earlier had walked from his Sunset Heights home in El Paso to vote at the El Paso Community College Rio Grande Campus, was all smiles as voters asked to tae pictures with him. RUBEN R. RAMIREZ/EL PASO TIMES

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, stopped at Mesiat Elementary School to greet volunteers and voters early Tuesday morning. O’Rourke who earlier had walked from his Sunset Heights home in El Paso to vote at the El Paso Community College Rio Grande Campus, was all smiles as voters asked to tae pictures with him. RUBEN R. RAMIREZ/EL PASO TIMES

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, walked from his Sunset Heights home in El Paso to vote at the El Paso Community College Rio Grande Campus Tuesday. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, stopped at Mesiat Elementary School to greet volunteers and voters early Tuesday morning. O’Rourke who earlier had walked from his Sunset Heights home in El Paso to vote at the El Paso Community College Rio Grande Campus, was all smiles as voters asked to tae pictures with him. RUBEN R. RAMIREZ/EL PASO TIMES

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, stopped at Mesiat Elementary School to greet volunteers and voters early Tuesday morning. O’Rourke who earlier had walked from his Sunset Heights home in El Paso to vote at the El Paso Community College Rio Grande Campus, was all smiles as voters asked to tae pictures with him. RUBEN R. RAMIREZ/EL PASO TIMES

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, walked from his Sunset Heights home in El Paso to vote at the El Paso Community College Rio Grande Campus Tuesday. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, stopped at Mesiat Elementary School to greet volunteers and voters early Tuesday morning. O’Rourke who earlier had walked from his Sunset Heights home in El Paso to vote at the El Paso Community College Rio Grande Campus, was all smiles as voters asked to tae pictures with him. RUBEN R. RAMIREZ/EL PASO TIMES

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, walked from his Sunset Heights home in El Paso to vote at the El Paso Community College Rio Grande Campus Tuesday. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times